2. Poland
3. Czech Republic
4. Slovakia
5. Hungary
6. Austria
Day 1
Germany + Poland + Czech Republic
Total Distance: 544km (338 miles)
- No advertising signs along the highways in Germany.
- There are advertising signs along the highways in Czech Republic.
- The cities on the border of Germany and Poland made me feel like I walked into a snow globe.
- Driving through those same cities made me want to play Ghost Recon.
- The Courtyard Marriott at the Prague airport is by far the best Courtyard Marriott ever.
- They don't accept Euros in most stores in Czech Republic. And if they do, they need a calculator. But they do accept Visa.
Day 2
Slovakia + Hungary
Total Distance: 529 km (328 miles)
This trip has definitely mixed emotions. It started out a little confusing and then it ended totally and completely confusing. Work was a drama when I left and by the time I got to Prague, it exploded into a full blown soap opera. But let's not get into that right now. What I'm worried about at this exact moment is that my 3 year old Powerbook won't boot up at all. I was ready to download my photos from the first day and the machine just wouldn't boot up. I'd say it's the blue screen of death, but it just keeps going round and round and round. I've never seen it before. I couldn't sleep that night and I felt so depressed. With everything that's going on with work and personal life, I couldn't believe that my Mac just could not get started. I eventually fell asleep and actually had a dream about buying a condo in Seattle. Weird.
So today, I'm still worried about my Mac. I think the last time I backed it up was in January so the photos I would lose would be my last roadtrip, which would totally break my heart if I can't get those pictures back. I'm hoping that the "Deutschland Superstars" at Apple will be able to get it going again. As this was happening, I thought about canceling the rest of my trip and take my machine and get it repaired. I thought about it for a few minutes after I woke up this morning, but then I decided that I should go. I still had my camera and my work laptop and this might be my last opportunity in taking a trip like this again.
So I went. And I'm so glad I did. Even though the drive from Prague to Budapest was fairly uneventful, I was able to clear my thoughts and find some sort of peace, even for just a few kilometers. The trip was short so I actually got to Budapest around 1pm. And when I saw Budapest for the first time, I was totally blown away. The Marriott Hotel was right along the Duna River and the bridge across the Duna was spectacular. I asked the front desk where I should go to take pictures and she handed me a map and said, "The Castle District".
I walked around for a few hours taking as many pictures as I could. The only problem was that the temperature was below freezing and I got cold quick! Fortunately, there were lots of cafes around so that helped a bit. Again, I probably could have picked a better time to visit these countries, but sometimes opportunity comes but once in your lifetime so you have to take it when it's there. As a friend once said, "You have the world at your fingertips. Take more roadtrips. Eat more Twix". So I did.
Total Distance: 529 km (328 miles)
This trip has definitely mixed emotions. It started out a little confusing and then it ended totally and completely confusing. Work was a drama when I left and by the time I got to Prague, it exploded into a full blown soap opera. But let's not get into that right now. What I'm worried about at this exact moment is that my 3 year old Powerbook won't boot up at all. I was ready to download my photos from the first day and the machine just wouldn't boot up. I'd say it's the blue screen of death, but it just keeps going round and round and round. I've never seen it before. I couldn't sleep that night and I felt so depressed. With everything that's going on with work and personal life, I couldn't believe that my Mac just could not get started. I eventually fell asleep and actually had a dream about buying a condo in Seattle. Weird.
So today, I'm still worried about my Mac. I think the last time I backed it up was in January so the photos I would lose would be my last roadtrip, which would totally break my heart if I can't get those pictures back. I'm hoping that the "Deutschland Superstars" at Apple will be able to get it going again. As this was happening, I thought about canceling the rest of my trip and take my machine and get it repaired. I thought about it for a few minutes after I woke up this morning, but then I decided that I should go. I still had my camera and my work laptop and this might be my last opportunity in taking a trip like this again.
So I went. And I'm so glad I did. Even though the drive from Prague to Budapest was fairly uneventful, I was able to clear my thoughts and find some sort of peace, even for just a few kilometers. The trip was short so I actually got to Budapest around 1pm. And when I saw Budapest for the first time, I was totally blown away. The Marriott Hotel was right along the Duna River and the bridge across the Duna was spectacular. I asked the front desk where I should go to take pictures and she handed me a map and said, "The Castle District".
I walked around for a few hours taking as many pictures as I could. The only problem was that the temperature was below freezing and I got cold quick! Fortunately, there were lots of cafes around so that helped a bit. Again, I probably could have picked a better time to visit these countries, but sometimes opportunity comes but once in your lifetime so you have to take it when it's there. As a friend once said, "You have the world at your fingertips. Take more roadtrips. Eat more Twix". So I did.
In the end, I had dinner at a small restaurant along the way back to my hotel. The funniest part was that a song played that sounded familiar, except it was in Hungarian. I wasn't sure so I asked the waiter. The song was Frank Sinatra's "My Way".
Day 3
Austria + Germany
Total Distance: 746 km (463 miles)
The day started out with the navi being unable to get me out of Budapest. It kept leading me into directions like a bridge that's only used for TRAINS and or a broken road that led me straight to the river. I kept going around and around and tried to get it to choose a different route, but I couldn't. It kept leading me into the same position. Finally, I drove as far as I could and I ended up in this pretty cool neighborhood. I found this church below actually and so I had to stop and take its picture. I am very impressed with Budapest and it seems like it has a lot to offer. Between the historical architecture and the plethora of stores and cafes, it felt like it fits just about every kind of personality. Eventually, the navigation system got me out of Budapest.
I think I've given more money to Austria than any other country aside from the US. First time was last weekend when I had to pay 120 EUR for them to help me get my car out of the mud. Then today, I got pulled over for "speeding" which was really crazy because I was going 160 km/h which is nothing compared to how I've been driving. The thing is that they saw me have Germany plates and that's what attracted them to me. He even admitted it. The ticket cost me 35 EUR. After 45 minutes of driving, I got pulled over again! And this time, it wasn't for speeding. It was because I had Germany plates and they just wanted to check me out. I think it's because I'm Asian =) but anyway, they pulled me over and asked me for my rental car papers and passport. Then they handed me a 120 EUR bill because you need a sticker to drive in Austria. I should have known this but I completely forgot about it. You're supposed to pick it up on the border. The funny thing is that this is probably my 5th time driving through Austria and never once did I pick one up. If it's so mandatory, they should just stop people at the border to check and have them pull over and buy one. That's what the Swiss do. So if you weren't counting, that's 275 EUR or almost $400 in "donations" to Austria.
Other than that, the drive back to Nuremberg was good. It was a bit slower than normal because of this thick fog and I don't know what kind of water is in Hungary, but for some reason I had to pee every 45 minutes or so. I think I peed more from Budapest to Nuremberg than in my whole trip. And that's all I have to say about that.
Again, I am grateful for this opportunity and for making it back safely. There is definitely no price for safety. And another story to tell.
More pictures available here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=215648&id=653050323&l=43c5c
Total Distance: 746 km (463 miles)
The day started out with the navi being unable to get me out of Budapest. It kept leading me into directions like a bridge that's only used for TRAINS and or a broken road that led me straight to the river. I kept going around and around and tried to get it to choose a different route, but I couldn't. It kept leading me into the same position. Finally, I drove as far as I could and I ended up in this pretty cool neighborhood. I found this church below actually and so I had to stop and take its picture. I am very impressed with Budapest and it seems like it has a lot to offer. Between the historical architecture and the plethora of stores and cafes, it felt like it fits just about every kind of personality. Eventually, the navigation system got me out of Budapest.
I think I've given more money to Austria than any other country aside from the US. First time was last weekend when I had to pay 120 EUR for them to help me get my car out of the mud. Then today, I got pulled over for "speeding" which was really crazy because I was going 160 km/h which is nothing compared to how I've been driving. The thing is that they saw me have Germany plates and that's what attracted them to me. He even admitted it. The ticket cost me 35 EUR. After 45 minutes of driving, I got pulled over again! And this time, it wasn't for speeding. It was because I had Germany plates and they just wanted to check me out. I think it's because I'm Asian =) but anyway, they pulled me over and asked me for my rental car papers and passport. Then they handed me a 120 EUR bill because you need a sticker to drive in Austria. I should have known this but I completely forgot about it. You're supposed to pick it up on the border. The funny thing is that this is probably my 5th time driving through Austria and never once did I pick one up. If it's so mandatory, they should just stop people at the border to check and have them pull over and buy one. That's what the Swiss do. So if you weren't counting, that's 275 EUR or almost $400 in "donations" to Austria.
Other than that, the drive back to Nuremberg was good. It was a bit slower than normal because of this thick fog and I don't know what kind of water is in Hungary, but for some reason I had to pee every 45 minutes or so. I think I peed more from Budapest to Nuremberg than in my whole trip. And that's all I have to say about that.
Again, I am grateful for this opportunity and for making it back safely. There is definitely no price for safety. And another story to tell.
More pictures available here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=215648&id=653050323&l=43c5c
